This invention is directed to the conversion of coin operated vending machines in which the unlatching of a front door, via deposit of the proper coins in a coin latch mechanism, provides access to an entire stack of newspapers. The newspaper vending machine believed to be in widest use today is believed to be the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,174,608, in which the newspapers are supported in a generally vertical stack and the coin controlled access door is opened to permit the party who inserted the coins to remove a newspaper from the top of the stack. These are called "full access" machines, in the sense that, once access is obtained, the customer has the option of removing one newspaper or the entire stack.
Because of the considerable variety of money-saving coupons which are provided in newspaper advertisements these days, which people need only to clip out of the newspaper and use in a retail store to obtain a considerable discount, or to obtain additional items of the type purchased for no cost, there is now a definite incentive for people to accumulate as many newspapers as possible to obtain these coupons for their own use, or for sale to others. As a result, considerable difficulty is being encountered with vending machines of this type which depend upon the honesty and goodwill of the people using them.
There are various "one-at-a-time" dispensing machines on the market today, as exemplified in the following patents:
______________________________________ 479,688 4,043,484 2,576,636 4,067,477 2,929,480 4,139,120 3,042,250 4,174,047 3,114,475 4,273,255 3,708,087 4,413,749 3,747,733 ______________________________________
No one has yet, to our knowledge, however, perfected a conversion mechanism which permits the continued use of the many thousands of full access vending machines already in place throughout the country.
One of the prime objects of the present invention is to provide mechanism which converts a stack access vending machine to a machine which dispenses only a single article at a time, and does so in a relatively simple manner, which makes it worthwhile to retain the vending machines already in the marketplace, rather than replace them with new machines.
Another object of the invention is to provide a single article dispensing machine which does not require a new coin box, or new latching mechanism, and which makes use of the present access door in already existing vending machines. The present invention uniquely uses the motive power of the access door to operate a newspaper dispensing roller, which is in engagement with the top newspaper in the stack, to dispense that newspaper out to a position in which it is accessible when the door is opened.
Another object of the inventicnis to provide a vending machine which has the capability of dispensing articles of varying thickness, and in an efficient and reliable manner.
Still another object of the invention is to convert such coin-operated vending machines to machinery which may deliver other appropriate products.
Still another object of the invention is to provide improved vending machines which are difficult to loot and vandalize.
A coin-operated vending machine is provided in which the power of the access door is used to deliver the front edge of the newspaper out a vending slot behind the access door, via a roller. Incorporated with the roller, is a mechanism for permitting it to revolve when the customer pulls the newspaper the rest of the way out of the slot, and mechanism for preventing it from rotating when the access door is returned to position.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out specifically, or will become apparent from the following description, when it is considered in conjunction with the appended claims and the accompanying drawings.